Reflective Practice for Educators

In this age of mandated reforms, reflective practice is a truly effective, empowering way to make meaningful, positive changes.

Karen F. Osterman is currently Professor and Chairperson in the Department of Foundations, Leadership, and Policy Studies at Hofstra University. She received her BA from Emmanuel College, an MPIA at the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, and a PhD from Washington University. Her teaching and research focus broadly on motivation in a social context with particular emphasis on organiza-tional structures and processes that affect the workplace behavior of adults and students. Her work has appeared in the Journal of Management Science, Journal of School Public Relations, Journal of School Leadership, Education and Urban Society, Newsday, Phi Delta Kappan, Review of Educational Research, and Urban Education. Recent work explores the way that school and classroom policies and practices affect the quality of peer relationships, bullying, student violence, and disengagement from learning.

Anyone serious about leading the reform of teaching and learning in our schools should read this book. Kottkamp and Osterman reframe the conversation about what it means to lead a learning organization. Their reflective processes hold promise for educators as they struggle together to create new possibilities for student learning.